Four Years On
by SereneCalamity
Summary: After four years, Stiles is back, and Lydia is still nervous to tell him how she feels. Stydia.


_Needed to write a bit of Stydia! Even with the beautiful moments that are popping up in 6A, it's just not the same as seeing our two babies together on screen! Ooh, and I'm glad we finally got the name ;) Everyone happy with it?_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the characters._

It had been four years.

Four years since Stiles Stilinski had lived in the same zip code as her.

Four years of acting as though the Skype calls, Facebook messages and texts, and the sporadic meetings at Christmas, birthdays and long weekends were enough.

Four years of liking photos and videos that he was tagged in; at Uni events, at parties, with groups of people that Lydia had vaguely heard of and with girls who seemed more than happy to throw their arms around him.

Four years of acting as though she wasn't completely in love with him, and that having him over five hours of driving away wasn't slowly eating her up inside.

Except now he was back.

The timing between them had just never been right. He had been in love with her since pretty much forever, apparently, and she would freely admit now that she had never so much as blinked twice in his direction. She was different back then, almost disgustingly self absorbed. And then when he had come onto her radar, she was still dealing with Jackson Whittemore. It took a long time for her to get over him, because it wasn't just any break up. He had turned into a werewolf. And then her best friend was a hunter of werewolves. And then she was a banshee, then there was the nogitsune, and Malia Hale, and things just kept on happening, and it was just never the right time.

And now things had settled. Stiles had gone off to University, needing some space between himself and Beacon Hills, which was understandable. Lydia had always planned on doing something which required years and years of studying, like becoming some sort of doctor or biologist. But with everything they had gone through, she couldn't bring herself to do that. She wanted to help people face to face, so that she knew their names and personalities, not viewing them as test subjects.

So she became a teacher, and didn't regret it for a day.

Every working day, Lydia walked into a classroom filled with the smiling faces of about fourteen five year olds, bouncing with energy and brimming with curiosity. This was in absolutely no way where she pictured herself when she was fifteen years old and thinking about her future, but then again, she hadn't expected over half the things that had happened to her in last few years of high school. But she was happy, and Scott McCall and Malia had stayed in Beacon Hills as well, which meant that she hadn't been left by herself when Stiles had left.

It had been three weeks since Stiles was back in town and Lydia really wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't this.

He was more comfortable with himself than he had been when he had left, although that was expected, as he was now older, and had had time to grow apart from everything that he was used to. He was even a little bit taller, had filled out more in the shoulders and his thighs, and she couldn't even begin on his ass, because it was just illegal how good it looked in everything he wore, especially sweatpants. He didn't stutter over his words quite as much, although he still talked a lot more than a normal person. His smile was easy and quick again, just like it had been before the nogitsune and Allison Argent, and his eyes didn't have the same shadows in them like they used to.

Scott, Malia, Melissa McCall and Sheriff Noah Stilinski were all overjoyed to have Stiles back, and rightfully so. Lydia was happy as well, but it was all overshadowed by how nervous she was. She knew that he of course had dated while he had been away **—** it wasn't as though Stiles had told her, but she had heard Scott and the Sheriff mention it in passing **—** but she didn't know any details, and she never asked for them, because the truth was that she didn't want to know. But now she wasn't sure if Stiles had left someone behind in the city, if he had been serious about anyone, if he was still getting over someone. And she didn't know how to ask either, because she wasn't sure she would like the answer.

"What's wrong with you?" Scott asked as he followed Lydia into her kitchen, tilting his head to the side and looking at her with his puppy dog eyes and adorable lop sided smile.

"Nothing's wrong," Lydia muttered as she poured herself a cup of coffee in a to-go cup.

"She's thinking about Stiles," Malia stated as she flounced into the kitchen, opening up Lydia's cupboard and pulling out a bag of honey crusted cornflakes. "That's her 'thinking about Stiles' face."

"No, it's not!" Lydia snapped.

"Yes, it is," Malia smirked as she opened up the box and reaching inside, stuffing a handful of cornflakes into her mouth.

"Oh, so it's Stiles," understanding dawned on Scott's face. "Well, you know, all you need to do is—"

"Nope," Lydia cut him off, taking a bowl out of her cupboard and handing it to Malia. Malia looked at the bowl, and then at her box of cornflakes, putting down the bowl and grabbing out another handful.

"Just talk to him!" Scott tried again.

"Nope," Lydia repeated, tapping her finger against the side of the bowl and giving Malia a pointed look.

"But if you just—"

"Scott," Lydia took in a deep breath as she picked up her coffee cup and turned to face Scott. "I'm not going to talk to Stiles. This is not a discussion I'm having I'm having. And Malia?" She shot the brunette a look. "If you get any more crumbs on the floor, I'm gonna make you turn into a coyote to lick them all up." Malia huffed, but picked up the bowl and filled it with cornflakes. "Right, now I'm going to work. And when I get home, make your you guys have cleaned up. My kitchen is always a mess when you two are around." Scott and Malia exchanged looks and shrugged.

It was kind of strange, actually, that Malia—who was Stiles' ex girlfriend—turned out to be the one that Lydia turned to when she needed to talk about Stiles. But Malia and Stiles had moved on, and they were just good friends now. Malia was working with the park rangers now, and she was getting it on with the cute guy who had just started working there as well. He was a little be socially awkward, just like her, and Lydia was happy for her friend. Scott had gotten a degree in veterinary medicine and was working alongside Alan Deaton, and he and Kira Yukimura were back together.

Her class was full on, just like it always was, and when her kids were let out for lunch, Lydia slumped in her chair at the front of the classroom, taking in a deep breath through her nose. Malia had stayed the night last night, and then Scott had turned up this morning, and so she had been distracted this morning and forgotten to pack herself lunch.

"Lyds?" There was a knock on the door and Lydia's eyes widened when Stiles stepped in, flashing her an adorable smile. "Hey, you free?"

"Uh," Lydia straightened up in her seat and smoothed her hands out over her skirt even though it was hidden under her desk. "Yeah, sure." Stiles came in, shutting the door behind her and walking straight up to her desk, sitting on the edge with his leg close to where her arms were. It was Lydia's first instinct to put her hand on his leg. It was then a quick second instinct to pull back because she wanted to try and stop herself from reaching out and touching him. She settled for clasping her hands together in front of her, trying to act normal.

She should be completely used to that, because she's been practicing for four years, since Stiles first left to complete his forensic science degree and she realized just how in love she was with him.

"Scott called me this morning," Stiles began with a tilt of his head and Lydia felt her blood run cold.

"H-he did?" Lydia stuttered, making a mental note to walk into Scott and Kira's house and scream her lungs out, bursting every window in their two bedroomed home as payback if Scott so much as breathed how she felt about Stiles to his best friend.

"Yeah. He was checking in on me—there's a case that I'm working on and I've barely left the office in two days. He worries, you know, the whole Alpha complex," Stiles smiled. "He wanted to make sure I was eating properly, and then he mentioned that he was with you this morning and that you didn't remember to bring lunch." He lifted up the hand from the other side of his body and Lydia's eyes widened as she saw a paper bag from her favorite sushi bar in town.

"Oh my god," she groaned out as she reached out toward him, making grabby motions with her hands. "I love you so much," the words were out of her mouth before she could second guess them, but Stiles just laughed as he reached into the bag and pulled out the first plastic container of sushi. He handed it to her, as well as a pair of chopsticks, before pulling out his own container and making himself more comfortable on the desk. Usually Lydia would make a comment about the fact that her desk wasn't for sitting, but she was just so grateful to have food that she set about eating it rather than focusing on Stiles. They ate in silence for a few minutes, before Stiles spoke up.

"You've been weird around me since I got back," he commented, his voice low. Lydia almost choked on the salmon piece of sushi she had just put in her mouth. She managed to turn her choking fit into a couple of coughs, taking a sip from her bottle of water before looking up at him.

"No, I haven't," she responded.

"Yes, you have," Stiles said with a knowing look.

" _No_ , I haven't. You're imagining things, Stilinski," she tried to look unruffled as she picked up her chopsticks and readied herself to pick up another piece, hoping to dismiss this whole conversation.

"Is it..." Stiles' voice was a little bit muffled as he looked down at his container of sushi, pushing the last three pieces around with his chopsticks. "Is it because of the way you feel about me?" Lydia had never had a panic attack before, but she felt as though she was about to have one now. There was a rushing in her ears and her vision went spotted and her fingers clenched so tightly around her chopsticks that she actually snapped one of them. "Hey, hey, hey," Stiles murmured, putting down his food and sliding off the desk to come over and stand in front of her. He took the chopsticks and the plastic container from her hands and put them down, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Lydia, it's okay **—** _shit_ , don't freak out on me, I didn't mean to just say it like that."

"I'm okay," Lydia muttered. His hands were warm and grounding on her shoulders, and she leaned her head forward, resting it against his stomach. Stiles' hands shifted, stroking his long fingers through her strawberry blonde hair, sending tingles skittering over her scalp and down her spine. Her breathing evened out but he didn't stop carding his fingers through her locks, and Lydia wished that this was something that she fell asleep to.

"I didn't mean to just spring that on you, it's just...We haven't really had anytime alone since I got back, and it's something I've been waiting years to talk to you about," Stiles' voice was quiet and soothing. Lydia didn't lift her head from where it was still resting against his toned stomach, and he didn't stop stroking her hair.

"How did you know?" Lydia's voice sounded a little shaky, even to her ears. "About me?"

"What is it that you told me once?" Stiles joked slightly. "I always figure it out." Lydia remembered the words, from when they were teenagers, from what felt like twenty years ago. Lydia took in a deep breath and finally pulled back and looked up at him. She wasn't sure what she was expecting to see; but Stiles was looking at her exactly the same he had always looked at her.

Soft, warm, whiskey coloured eyes, a loving, caring gaze, and his gorgeous, plush mouth turned upwards in a soothing smile.

Nothing had changed, even after she had confirmed the way she felt about him. And why would it? He was Stiles. Stiles who loved her, cared for her...Stiles who had one hand resting against the back of her head and had moved the other hand to her cheek, the pad of his thumb touching her soft cheek. He was cradling her face as though she was the most delicate and treasured thing in the world...Just like he always had.

"You've got nothing to worry about," Stiles whispered. "You should have known that I would always comes back for you." Lydia's eyes filled with tears at his words. "Because it's always been you, Lydia. Ever since the third grade." She made a choked noise at the back of her throat that probably wasn't attractive at all, but then Stiles was leaning down and pressing their lips together in the softest, sweetest kiss that she had ever experienced. It was chaste, and short, but her whole body felt as though it was on fire. She leaned up into him, reaching for his sturdy shoulders with both hands.

She wanted this.

She wanted them.

More than she had wanted anything else.

She wanted his hands on her skin, underneath her clothes, his lips on her shoulders and the nape of her neck, his fingers touching her breasts and gliding over her stomach, his nose bumping against hers and his breath on her cheeks, their bodies twined **—**

"Ms Martin?" Came a soft, questioning voice from the doorway, and the pair broke apart guiltily, turning toward the doorway where at least five of her kids were standing wide eyed. One of the boys let out a giggle, covering his mouth with his hand, and one of the little girls had big wide eyes. The bell must have rung, because there was the sound of pattering feet as more of the class ran down the hallway, toward the room.

"Uh," Stiles made a guilty face as he looked back at Lydia, who grinned, her cheeks pink. "To be continued?"

"Absolutely," Lydia nodded.

"Tonight? Dinner? I'll bring ingredients to your place?" He continued as he backed away from Lydia, toward the door.

"Sounds great," she nodded again. Stiles flashed her another smile, turning around and almost tripping over the two boys who were in the doorway. The five year olds laughed at him and Stiles grinned.

"Whoops," he muttered, patting them awkwardly on the head before clumsily skipping around them and taking off down the hallway.

Lydia would be lying if she said she didn't have a stupid, goofy smile on her face the rest of the day.

 _So? What do we think?_

 _I kind of think badass Lydia as a primary school teacher is awesome. Maybe I just have a think for badass woman being awesome with a bunch of adorable children...Anyway! Leave a review!_


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